Poll: More Concealed Carry Equals Less Crime

A Gallup poll released on October 20 shows that a majority of Americans believe more concealed carry equals less crime.

According to Gallup, 56 percent of Americans answered in the affirmative when asked if the U.S. would be safer if “more Americans were allowed to carry concealed weapons if they passed a criminal background check and training course.” 41 percent of respondents said more concealed carry would make the country less safe.

In a pattern that has become very familiar, support for more concealed carry was driven by Republicans and independents. Eighty-two percent of Republicans believe more concealed carry would make the U.S. safer and 56 percent of independents agree. But the majority of Democrats—67 percent—believe more concealed carry would make the U.S. less safe.

On October 21, Breitbart News reported a very similar breakdown by party in a CNN/ORC that looked at Americans’ overarching position on gun control. In that poll, 52 percent of Americans opposed more gun control, while 46 percent support the passage of more gun laws. When viewed by party, CNN showed that 76 percent of Republicans and 56 percent independents opposed gun control, while nearly 3 out of 4 Democrats stood in support of more gun control.

The timing of both polls—Gallup and CNN—is important, because both were conducted in the wake of the shooting of unarmed students in the gun-free zone at Umpqua Community College. Following that attack, Americans are saying more gun control is not the answer. Rather, they say an increase in the number of armed citizens—via concealed carry—will make U.S. a safer place.